Day Two: Suzhou Lake Walk

 We walk from the apartment through an area of “modern” Suzhou towards an imposing lake. We follow smooth and cobbled paths passed canals, huge apartment blocks and avenues of shrubs and trees. Of interest is the centred cobbled paving along footpaths. These rough pavers are designed for the Blind. However I’m told the Blind prefer to walk beside the kerb!

Building reigns supreme. We pass many a donga enclosed in tower construction projects. Donga is not a canal here, but the living quarters hut for on-site workers.

We wend our way towards a grassed park and playground beside an immense lake. Children with adults fly kites. I dodge kite strings and plummeting out of control kites. Exploration of the lake walkways is hazardous. Frantic dodges and leaps occur as peddle mobiles, bikes, tandems, roller skates, blade runners hurtle through the strollers along the promenade. Bronze, life-like statues abound. Various stalls sell fun items such as kites and bubble-makers. Arlo’s dad treats her to a bubble-maker. Bubbles floating from the maker enthral Arlo. Soon a gathering of Chinese camera buffs surround Arlo, not much interested in the bubbles, but very intent on photographing this “white” toddler.

Our saunter continues alongside jetties and distant ‘skyscrapers’.  Towards the city suburbs we trudge passing a police outpost, newly transplanted pansies in a roadside garden and onward  to the construction zones. Canals, with willows flashing green buds, are crossed. These canals mirror gorgeous images of buildings and trees. Newly erected mature trees with painted white trunks are propped up by 4 posts. The white lime on the trunks supposedly acts as an insecticide.

Cars, trucks, buses, electric bikes and scooters flash across intersections and pedestrian crossings. Somehow we avoid becoming an accident statistic to arrive home. Tonight we dine out, but not Chinese. We slide onto the floor of an enclosed room in a Korean restaurant. Our feet dangle in a pit under a table. Meat is barbecued in the centre of the table on a circular gas hot plate. The chef cooks the food which is delivered by sweet young Korean or Chinese waitresses – they’re Asian anyway. A very enjoyable feast ends our eventful Suzhou day.

Kites up, up and away dodging little kids and big kids.

My God! Is he really on the mobile?

The paparazzi converge.
Who's the centre of attention to be featured in New Idea?

The A.C.T. government's vision for Lake Burley Griffin?

Compare Suzhou's vision for sculpture
with that of the harping A.C.T.

The Chinese entry for Shanghai's Formula One Race, 2012

"I'm forever blowing, bubbles; pretty bubbles in the air!"

The remains of the swamp on which the new Suzhou is built.

Wow! China does have buses.

Although I'm lost, the mobile phone will help direct me home!

Reflections on our two days in China.